Democracy on Trial

This worksheet helps students in Grades 6, 7, and 8 strengthen argumentative writing, historical reasoning, civic understanding, and evidence-based explanation by examining the impact of judicial review. Using Marbury v. Madison as the foundation, learners take a clear position on whether judicial review strengthened or weakened democracy, then defend their stance with historical evidence and thoughtful reasoning in a well-organized paragraph.

Skills Reinforced

• Judicial Review Impact (Grades 6-8) – Analyze how the Supreme Court’s power affects democratic governance
• Argumentative Writing – Develop a clear claim supported by historical evidence
• Civic Reasoning – Examine democratic principles such as checks and balances and separation of powers
• Historical Analysis – Use Marbury v. Madison to support claims about long-term government impact

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to align with middle school civics, U.S. history, and ELA standards
• Structured Argument Prompt – Guides students through claim, evidence, and conclusion
• Reflection Extension Included – Encourages deeper thinking by imagining the U.S. without judicial review
• Flexible Use – Ideal for classwork, debates, assessments, or homeschool instruction
• Supports Higher-Order Thinking – Moves beyond recall to evaluation and judgment

This Democracy on Trial worksheet helps students critically examine one of the most important constitutional ideas in U.S. history. By arguing whether judicial review strengthened or weakened democracy, learners strengthen writing skills, historical understanding, and civic awareness. It’s a no-prep, engaging resource for classroom and homeschool settings focused on thoughtful analysis of government power and democratic principles.

This worksheet is part of our Marbury v. Madison Worksheets collection.